Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security (MoPS) thinks it is killing two birds
with one stone by passing new laws regulating data storage. But it could soon
find out it has no use for two dead birds while the stone flies off and damages
the economy.

Just a short three years ago, Pham Thu Huong had no email address, no
Facebook account, and no time ever spent at the internet cafes that sprout like
weeds around Vietnam. In fact, she had almost never laid her hands on a
computer.

All Vietnamese citizens can now participate in spreading knowledge
conveniently and effectively thanks to the “Digital Vietnamese knowledge
system” project – an ambitious Wikipedia-like portal tailored for Vietnamese,
which was launched in Hà Nội on January 1.

Cyber spies working for or on behalf of China’s government have broadened
attacks against official and corporate targets in Vietnam at a time of raised
tension over the South China Sea, cyber security company FireEye said.

Hackers have been carrying out cyberattacks on multinational companies
operating in Vietnam for several years now, seeking types of information that
suggest a possible connection to the Vietnamese government, according to a
Monday report.

The Government is encouraging made-in-Việt Nam internet platforms to replace
international giants like Google and Facebook as part of its long-term efforts
to strengthen cyber security, the communications minister said yesterday.

Vietnam on Tuesday sought cooperation from India in various fields,
including cyber security and e-governance, to steer the country towards
economic development on the lines of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Digital
India and e-governance initiatives.

While most countries in the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) have ambitions of
developing competitive tech sectors, it appears that Vietnam is best placed to
become the region’s Silicon Valley, thanks to successful education policies,
government support and an environment of entrepreneurial-ism.

Vietnam has banned players of the game Pokemon Go from the offices of its
government and ruling Communist Party, besides defense locations, as thousands
of its citizens get swept up in the frenzy to capture virtual cartoon
characters.

The spyware used in cyber attacks on Vietnam’s major airports and national
carrier last month is now suspected of having bombarded many more official
sites, amid tensions with China over territory in the disputed South China
Sea.

The hackers had displayed images supportive of Beijing's claims in the South
China Sea on flight information screens. Vietnam's flagship carrier said their
website had also been targeted by the cyber attack.

Vietnam's tech startups are emerging as a force to be reckoned with as
foreign private equity funds bet the country's talented young brains will yield
more successes like the international hit game Flappy Bird.